Unit name | Ecology and History In the Ancient World |
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Unit code | CLAS37003 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Morley |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
'Classical civilisation' was shaped not only by the actions and thoughts of individuals but also by the environment in which it developed, the world of the ancient Mediterranean. Climate, geography and ecology helped to set the 'limits of the possible', constraining and directing the development of ancient societies. In turn, the Greeks and Romans sought to overcome these limits, to control and change their environment sometimes successfully, sometimes with disastrous consequences. The aim of this unit is to study the relationship between ancient societies and their environment: the ways in which they thought about the natural world and sought to master it - ideas which, it has been argued, continue to shape our own relationship with the environment - and the ways in which they themselves were shaped by the forces of nature. It will draw on traditional literary sources, archaeology and modern theories of ecology.
Aims:
To understand the impact of the environment on the development of classical civilisation, and to explore the application of ecological theories to ancient history.
On successful completion of this unit, students should:
Seminars.
3,000-word essay (50%), 2-hour written exam (50%).